TISSUE EXPANDER
A tissue expander comprising: an outer shell; a first open obloid shell disposed in the outer shell, the first open obloid shell comprising: a first annular face; a first outward face disposed opposing to the first annular face; and a first annular sidewall interposed between the first annular face and the first outward face to connect the first outward face to the first annular face; and a second open obloid shell disposed in the outer shell, the second open obloid shell comprising: a second annular face; a second outward face disposed opposing to the second annular face; and a second annular sidewall interposed between the second annular face and the second outward face to connect the second outward face to the second annular face, wherein the first open obloid shell and the second open obloid shell are stackingly arranged in the outer shell such that the first annular face opposes the second annular face.
Disclosed is a tissue expander comprising: an outer shell; a first open obloid shell disposed in the outer shell, the first open obloid shell comprising: a first annular face; a first outward face disposed opposing to the first annular face; and a first annular sidewall interposed between the first annular face and the first outward face to connect the first outward face to the first annular face; and a second open obloid shell disposed in the outer shell, the second open obloid shell comprising: a second annular face; a second outward face disposed opposing to the second annular face; and a second annular sidewall interposed between the second annular face and the second outward face to connect the second outward face to the second annular face, wherein the first open obloid shell and the second open obloid shell are stackingly arranged in the outer shell such that the first annular face opposes the second annular face.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike.
A detailed description of one or more embodiments is presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation.
A tissue expander described herein provides an implantable tissue expander having an internal structural support based on viscoelastic compression properties of silicone bodies such as open obloid shells, which can be a same construction as the outer shell. When the tissue expander is empty, the open obloid shells are compressed and provide a flat expander with internal support that mechanically resists folding or rippling of an outer container in which the open obloid shell is disposed. In response to filling the tissue expander with a fluid such as saline, an internal volume of the open obloid shells expands. As a result, support is provided to the filled tissue expander to maintain a softness and elasticity of the tissue expander effective to simulate healthy breast tissue. Moreover, the open obloid shells do not affect expansion of the outer shell because the outer shell is not structurally connected to the open obloid shell therein. Additionally, the open obloid shell provides internal structural support to the tissue expander such that the outer shell exhibits less rippling or scalloping than an outer shell that does have an open obloid shell.
In an embodiment, as shown in
Tissue expander 2 further includes anterior surface 35. In this arrangement, first open obloid shell 6 in combination with second open obloid shell 14 provide a springy, shape-restoring force to outer shell 4 to prevent bending of tissue expander 2. It is contemplated that tissue expander 2 shown in
In an embodiment, as shown in
In response to compression, e.g., due to evacuation of fluid from interior 22 of outer shell 4, tissue expander 2 collapses in a direction indicated by arrow 34 and arrow 36 is shown in
According to an embodiment, any number of open obloid shells (e.g., 6, 14, 40, 48, and the like) can be disposed in outer shell 4. In a particular embodiment, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
According to an embodiment, as shown in
In an embodiment, as shown in
According to an embodiment, first annular face 8, first outward face 10, first annular sidewall 12, or a combination thereof independently includes a smooth contoured surface (e.g., as shown in
In an embodiment, first outward face 10, second outward face 18, or a combination thereof includes an asymmetrically curved surface, wherein an entire portion of such face (10 or 18) is not symmetric. In a certain embodiment, first outward face 10, second outward face 18, or a combination thereof includes a substantially planar surface. In a particular embodiment, first outward face 10, second outward face 18, or a combination thereof includes a concave surface with respect to interior 24 or interior 28 of such faces. In a certain embodiment, first outward face 10, second outward face 18, or a combination thereof includes a convex surface with respect to interior 24 or interior 28 of such faces.
According to an embodiment, outer container 4, first open obloid shell 6, second open obloid shell 14 independently includes a flexible polymer that is present in an FDA-approved tissue expander. In some embodiments, the flexible polymer is silicone.
With reference to
With reference to
In an embodiment, tissue expander 2 can include outer shell 4 and first open obloid shell 6 that includes a plurality of dimples 90 disposed along first annular sidewall 12 as shown in
With reference to
With reference to
Tissue expander 2 can be applied as a tissue expander, expander implant, breast implant, or other implant placed within a human body. Further, tissue expander 2 that includes first open obloid shell 6 and second open obloid shell 14 disposed in outer shell 4 has internal structural support provided by first open obloid shell 6 and second open obloid shell 14 such that tissue expander 2 exhibits less rippling or scalloping than an outer shell that does have an open obloid shell. Further, tissue expander 2 does not fold (
While one or more embodiments have been shown and described, modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation. Embodiments herein can be used independently or can be combined.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “particular embodiment,” “certain embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or the like means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of these phrases (e.g., “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment”) throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.
All ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other. The ranges are continuous and thus contain every value and subset thereof in the range. Unless otherwise stated or contextually inapplicable, all percentages, when expressing a quantity, are weight percentages. The suffix “(s)” as used herein is intended to include both the singular and the plural of the term that it modifies, thereby including at least one of that term (e.g., the colorant(s) includes at least one colorants). “Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance can or cannot occur, and that the description includes instances where the event occurs and instances where it does not. As used herein, “combination” is inclusive of blends, mixtures, alloys, reaction products, and the like.
As used herein, “a combination thereof” refers to a combination comprising at least one of the named constituents, components, compounds, or elements, optionally together with one or more of the same class of constituents, components, compounds, or elements.
All references are incorporated herein by reference.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. “Or” means “and/or.” Further, the conjunction “or” is used to link objects of a list or alternatives and is not disjunctive; rather the elements can be used separately or can be combined together under appropriate circumstances. It should further be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” “primary,” “secondary,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The modifier “about” used in connection with a quantity is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity).
Claims
1. A tissue expander comprising:
- an outer shell;
- a first open obloid shell disposed in the outer shell, the first open obloid shell comprising: a first annular face; a first outward face disposed opposing to the first annular face; and a first annular sidewall interposed between the first annular face and the first outward face to connect the first outward face to the first annular face; and
- a second open obloid shell disposed in the outer shell, the second open obloid shell comprising: a second annular face; a second outward face disposed opposing to the second annular face; and a second annular sidewall interposed between the second annular face and
- the second outward face to connect the second outward face to the second annular face,
- wherein the first open obloid shell and the second open obloid shell are stackingly arranged in the outer shell such that the first annular face opposes the second annular face.
2. The tissue expander of claim 1, further comprising a first bubble disposed on the first open obloid shell.
3. The tissue expander of claim 2, wherein the first bubble is disposed on an interior of the first open obloid shell, and the first bubble is in fluid communication with an interior of the outer shell.
4. The tissue expander of claim 2, wherein the first bubble is disposed on an exterior of the first open obloid shell.
5. The tissue expander of claim 2, further comprising a second bubble disposed on the second open obloid shell.
6. The tissue expander of claim 5, wherein the second bubble is disposed on an interior of the second open obloid shell.
7. The tissue expander of claim 5, wherein the second bubble is disposed on an exterior of the second open obloid shell.
8. The tissue expander of claim 1, further comprising a filling tube disposed on the outer shell and comprising an inner flow path that is in fluid communication with an interior of the outer shell.
9. The tissue expander of claim 8, wherein the filling tube is in fluid communication with the first open obloid shell and the second open obloid shell.
10. The tissue expander of claim 1, further comprising a first pair of obloid shells, the first pair of obloid shells comprises the first open obloid shell and the second open obloid shell.
11. The tissue expander of claim 10, further comprising a second pair of obloid shells disposed in the outer shell, the second pair of obloid shells comprising:
- a third open obloid shell comprising: a third annular face; a third outward face disposed opposing to the third annular face; and a third annular sidewall interposed between the third annular face
- and the third outward face to connect the third outward face to the third annular face; and
- a fourth open obloid shell comprising: a fourth annular face; a fourth outward face disposed opposing to the fourth annular face; and a fourth annular sidewall interposed between the fourth annular face and the fourth outward face to connect the fourth outward face to the fourth annular face, wherein the third open obloid shell and the fourth open obloid shell are stackingly arranged in the outer shell such that the third annular face opposes the fourth annular face,
- such that the first pair of obloid shells and a second pair of obloid shells are stackingly disposed in the outer shell wherein the second outward face opposes the third outward face.
12. The tissue expander of claim 1, wherein the first annular face, the first outward face, the first annular sidewall, or a combination comprising at least one of foregoing comprises a sinusoidally contoured surface.
13. The tissue expander of claim 1, wherein the second annular face, the second outward face, the second annular sidewall, or a combination comprising at least one of foregoing comprises a sinusoidally contoured surface.
14. The tissue expander of claim 1, wherein the first annular face, the first outward face, the first annular sidewall, or a combination comprising at least one of foregoing comprises a smooth contoured surface.
15. The tissue expander of claim 1, wherein the second annular face, the second outward face, the second annular sidewall, or a combination comprising at least one of foregoing comprises a smooth contoured surface.
16. The tissue expander of claim 1, wherein the first outward face, the second outward face, or combination comprising at least one of the foregoing faces comprises an asymmetrically curved surface.
17. The tissue expander of claim 1, wherein the first outward face, the second outward face, or combination comprising at least one of the foregoing faces comprises a substantially planar surface.
18. The tissue expander of claim 1, wherein the first outward face, the second outward face, or combination comprising at least one of the foregoing faces comprises a concave surface.
19. The tissue expander of claim 1, wherein the first outward face, the second outward face, or combination comprising at least one of the foregoing faces comprises a convex surface.
20. The tissue expander of claim 1, wherein the outer container, first open obloid shell, and the second open obloid shell independently further comprise a flexible polymer that is present in an FDA-approved tissue expander.
21. The tissue expander of claim 1, wherein outer shell comprises a shape in transverse cross-section that is a spherical shape or an oval shape, the oval shape approximating an anatomical shape for healthy human breast tissue.
Type: Application
Filed: May 14, 2015
Publication Date: Sep 3, 2015
Inventor: Hilton Becker (Boca Raton, FL)
Application Number: 14/712,773